Dangling the Carrot

President Bush settled on a nominee for the Supreme Court on Tuesday and the White House made arrangements for a nationally televised prime time announcement. “I’ll let you know when I’m ready,” he said at a midday news conference where he declined to tip his hand.

This is a no-win situation. The Democrats will find a dozen reasons why his nominee is unacceptable to them. OK, two dozen. By the same token, the Dobson crowd will also be looking on anxiously. If Bush doesn’t name someone who will give Roe v. Wade a thorough review, they’ll be yellin and a-hollerin.

So what does the president do? He decides to go on the tube and make the announcement during primetime, so he can get the maximum amount of media exposure. Priceless. They don’t call him the most powerful man in the world for no reason.